


An Understanding

by worldturnedupsidedown



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Memory Loss, Nightmares, Season/Series 02 Spoilers, Treat Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-14
Updated: 2017-02-14
Packaged: 2018-09-24 06:28:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9707999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/worldturnedupsidedown/pseuds/worldturnedupsidedown
Summary: Shiro needed Keith but he never knew how to ask.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [geckoholic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/geckoholic/gifts).



Sometimes memories in Shiro's head get mixed up. His memories as a free man on Earth and his memories as a Galra prisoner quite frequently get mixed together so he sees his grandmother as he remembered her before the Kerberos mission standing in a Galra cell. Or he sees Keith, young and spitting fire as he had been when Shiro first met him, being offered up as prize to the winner of the gladiator arena. Despite knowing it never happened, it doesn't stop him from waking in a cold sweat, reaching for someone that isn't there, a loved one's name on his lips. 

His grandmother was not there, hopefully alive still back on Earth, but Keith was so close that it was all Shiro could do some nights not to go to him, always managing to redirect himself to the training simulation room instead. Keith, the cadet who had burned so brightly that Shiro couldn't help but be swept in. He had told himself what he felt for Keith was familial, brotherly even, because that was what Keith needed from him, but the delusion was shattered abruptly during being a Galra prisoner. Keith had been the first thought in the morning and his last thought at night and when Matt had asked him to find something to stay alive for after he and his father were gone, it had been Keith's name ready to spring forth from his lips.

Shiro hated the fact that he couldn't trust his own mind anymore, that it tried to trip him up, to force him to move nearer to Keith in order to find some sort of comfort in his presence. The other paladins were his friends, and he felt like he knew far more about Pidge than he would have ever imagined considering how much her father and brother had talked about her during their mission together, but none of them filled him with the same burning desire to be close as Keith did.

"Shiro?" Keith's voice wove its way into his thoughts effortlessly and Shiro let his mouth fall open as he imagined that Keith was here with him now. "Shiro!"

He startled awake and realised it wasn't part of his half-dreaming thoughts, but rather Keith getting more and more worried by the door. Shiro opened it with a wave of his hand and tried to muster a smile for his friend. "I'm okay, I was asleep," he said in explanation for the length of time it had taken him to answer his door.

"Oh." Keith's eyebrows drew together in concern. "I didn't mean to wake you." He came in anyway when Shiro stepped aside, an unspoken invitation to come in. "I wanted to make sure you were okay. After what happened to Ulaz and everything." 

That was why Shiro had preferred to think about Keith rather than Ulaz who had died because of them. Because of Shiro. "As well as can be expected." He nudged Keith with his shoulder. "Thanks for backing me up with Allura, by the way." 

Keith gave a half-smile. "I trust you Shiro and I trust your judgement. If you say Ulaz wasn't the one to let the Galra know where we are, then I believe you." 

Keith's trust was hard-earned, Shiro knew that much, and to know he had it so completely left a growing warmth in the bottom of his stomach. "I'm okay." He smiled because he couldn't do anything else when Keith had that expression on his face. A combination of exasperation, affection and concern, as familiar as the jacket Shiro had brought for Keith right before he was called up to the Kerberos mission. "Are you okay?" 

"I'm fine," Keith said. An obvious lie; Keith did have something to say, some worry he wasn't sharing with Shiro. However, by this point, Shiro had learned not to push. Pushing on the issue meant Keith would become defensive and retreat and Shiro was selfish, he didn't want Keith to leave. But he didn't know how to ask Keith to stay. "Shiro, I'm glad you're okay. Even if we're light-years away from home and being chased by an evil Empire, I'm glad that I'm here with you through it all." 

He couldn't breathe, all he could do was stare at Keith. Thousands of things to say in response flitted through Shiro's head and he discarded each one as not quite right. "Me too," he said. It was stupid and not nearly enough, but Keith smiled like Shiro's words meant everything to him. "My time with the Galra was difficult," Shiro said slowly. The words were coming to him and he hoped that they came out sounding like they were supposed to. "After Matt left, I was alone. I don't remember much apart from fighting and pain and fear but I remember thinking of you and being able to calm down. To focus enough to win and survive another day." The loneliness was almost crippling and it was the one thing that stuck around after the nightmares but he found he couldn't quite say it. 

"Shiro..." Keith stepped closer. He looked like Shiro's words had been all his Christmas and birthday presents rolled into one. Shiro's mouth went dry at the look of happiness on Keith's face and he swayed, moving closer to Keith. "Don't hate me for this," Keith said quickly. 

"I could never..." Shiro started to reply automatically and then was abruptly cut off by Keith rocking up onto the balls of his feet and slanting their mouths together. His lips were dry and hot, Shiro opening his mouth before them automatically. Responding was easy, as was pulling Keith closer to him with an arm around his waist, and Shiro firmly shut down the voice in his brain that was saying what a bad idea this was. 

Keith nipped his bottom lip and Shiro felt a shiver race up and down his spine. He tightened his hands on Keith, relishing the hard muscle underneath his hands and pressing himself closer. In the end, it was Keith who pulled away. 

"How long?" Keith panted out. 

Shiro didn't need any further explanation. "If I'm honest, before Kerberos but I only admitted it to myself after I saw you again when I crash-landed on Earth." 

Keith nodded, thoughtful gaze staring at nothing. "Can I stay tonight?" He blurted out as the two of them managed to get their breathing back to normal. Neither of them let go of each other which meant that Shiro was able to see the flecks of darker blue, almost purple, in Keith's eyes. Keith blushed under Shiro's gaze. "Not for that. Just for sleep." 

"Always," Shiro vowed. 

When Shiro woke that night from a dream where Keith had died in the gladiator arena and Shiro was forced to watch, he reached out as instinctively as he always did, but this time he felt a warm body next to him. 

"Shiro? Are you alright?" Keith asked tentatively. His voice didn't sound tired and Shiro wondered if he had woken up long before Shiro's nightmare had woken him up. 

"Better now," Shiro said as he put his hands on Keith's waist and pulled him closer. The warmth, the scent, was enough to lull Shiro back to sleep, and this time he didn't dream.


End file.
